Quoting God : how media shape ideas about religion and culture /

Badaracco (communication, Marquette Univ.) has assembled an impressive collection of essays by leading scholars and journalism professionals; they consider the complex ways in which religion is reported in the media and interfaces with contemporary global upheavals and ongoing military, security, and cultural issues. The essays take on three conceptual-theoretical issues: national identity and the ideologies of newsrooms, challenges of cross-cultural news reporting, and the science-religion dichotomy. The breadth of the topics and diverse backgrounds of the contributors ably demonstrate the reality that religion intersects with and influences almost every media issue. Contributors reflect on the suppression, exclusivity, or misrepresentation of religion in some societies--issues that are of critical importance to journalists, academics, and theologians in the present global era. Those who have, or will have, the responsibility for analyzing and reporting on religion should have access to this timely volume. ^BSumming Up: Highly recommended. All collections supporting cultural studies and religion as well as media studies and journalism; all levels. M. R. Grant emerita, Wheaton College

Billed as an examination of world religions' influence on culture and the media's impact on religions, this collection also illustrates the worldview behind mainstream journalism. Eleven chapters, each by a different journalist or scholar, relate case studies, essays and personal life. Subjects range from the exotic (the Falun Gong) to the familiar (science and religion). Two treatments-one of the press's role in Arab nations, and the other of Muslim identity in American media-illuminate today's headlines. In the foreword, prominent religion reporter John Dart defines secular news organizations as "religiously neutral" and religion scholars as "nonpartisan," which some readers may dispute. The book hits occasional sour notes, such as conflating Jehovah's Witnesses with Christian fundamentalists and harshly critiquing President Bush's public expressions of faith. But there are strong contributions; Paul Boyer's essay on biblical prophecy and foreign policy points out the potential complications of having a premillennial dispensationalist in the White House, and Richard Gardner builds a case for "complicated and ambiguous narratives" in the reportage of the 1995 Aum Shinrikyo sarin gas attack in Japan while linking coverage of the story with Japan's history and mores. This anthology will find its biggest audience in journalism classes, but it also can help the average reader understand the pitfalls and possibilities of religion reporting. (Jan.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved